Slayer
by bionic4ever
Summary: My first crossover story. Jaime and Steve find an unexpected ally in the hunt for a serial killer.
1. Chapter 1

**Slayer**

Dedicated to my daughter, Sara, the true Buffy _fan_atic; thanks for your input and help with the details.

I have taken some liberties with the time frame of the "special guests' " history, for storyline purposes, pushing them back about 15 years in time.

Chapter One

Oscar stood in front of the projection screen, looking even more serious and grim than usual. He faced the unenviable task of explaining something he didn't understand himself. He looked around the table at each person in turn - Russ, Rudy, Jaime and Steve - hoping someone else had some input. No one did.

Oscar turned toward the image on the screen: a vivid close-up of a dead body that had met its demise in a most...unusual way. "This body exemplifies the condition all eight victims were in, when discovered. Each body had been completely drained of blood, with the only visible sign of violence being a set of two side-by-side puncture wounds on the victims' necks."

"You're saying the bodies had no blood left in them?" Steve asked.

"None." Oscar anticipated, and tried to answer, the next question. "There was also no blood found at any of the murder sites; not a splatter. Not a single drop."

"So they were killed somewhere other than where they were found," Russ theorized.

"Most of the bodies were still warm, with no signs of rigor mortis."

"They were killed somewhere close by?" Jaime guessed.

Oscar shook his head. "That works in theory, but not one victim had even a trace of blood on their clothing or skin."

"Do we have any leads?" Steve asked.

"Nope." Oscar turned off the projector and turned on the lights. "The FBI has been working the case since victim number three, and they've come up with nothing. They've formally requested our help. Rudy, I need you to find out how long a bloodless body can remain at 98.6. Russ, you and I will comb the areas around each murder site. Someone had to have seen something."

"What about us?" Jaime asked, looking at Steve. It had been years since they'd seen each other, and even longer since they'd worked as a team.

Oscar smiled sheepishly. "You two only have one detail to concentrate on: you're going to crack the case."

"Is that all?" Jaime wisecracked. "How come we always get the easy part?"

"You can pick up the file with all the details from Callahan on your way out," Oscar told them. "Your plane leaves in an hour."

Jaime rolled her eyes. "This oughta be fun. You ready, partner?"

They grabbed the file and were on their way, stopping at the Tranquility Fountain to regroup and begin to plan. "This has to be the weirdest one Oscar's ever given us," Jaime remarked, surprised to find herself more interested in Steve's eyes than the contents of the file. Several years earlier, Jaime had suffered a severe blow to her head while on an assignment, and while her memory had been restored, Jaime had been crushed when she realized her feelings for Steve had not returned and seemed unrecoverable.

Steve, too, had been devastated. To be given that ray of hope only to see it dashed was almost more than he could bear. Being around each other had proven awkward and painful for both of them, so - reluctantly - that had gone completely separate ways. Until now.

Steve forced himself to concentrate on the file, instead of the way Jaime's hair gleamed like spun gold in the sunshine. "There's a reasonable explanation for all of this," he said. "There has to be."

Their minds were on the same train of thought. "Steve, there no way this could be what it looks like, right?" she said in a quavering voice.

"Not a chance. We've got to stick to facts and evidence, and not try delving into fiction and myths."

"But it's creeping you out, too," she observed.

"Well, yeah, but only because on the surface, at first glance, this sounds like..."

Their eyes met. Jaime shuddered and completed his thought: "Vampires."

------


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Steve?"

"Yeah?"

"Didn't you say we were staying away from myths and legends?"

"Yeah. The truth is scary enough."

"Ok. So...why are we walking around a graveyard in the dark?"

"Because this area in exactly central to all eight deaths; they fan out from here like the spokes of a wheel. Draw lines between them, and you wind up here." Steve shrugged. "And - it's the only thing we have that remotely resembles a lead. Gotta start somewhere."

"How 'bout somewhere less creepy - like a morgue? And if we're gonna go this route, aren't we supposed to come here at midnight?"

"That _is_ a myth," said a young female voice, from behind them. Its owner was thin, blonde, and no more than 16 or 17. She stood with her hands on her hips, not the least bit intimidated by Jaime or Steve. "You shouldn't be here. It's dangerous after dark. Come back in the daylight for your souvenirs."

Steve shook his head in amusement. "I think it's past your bedtime, little girl."

"Oh," the girl responded, "You're Feds. Sorry. But you should know that this is my turf."

Steve looked at Jaime. "Reminds me of you at that age - all mouth."

The girl was becoming annoyed; they were keeping her from her job. "Look, I'm not trying to cause trouble, but I know what I'm doing. Do you?"

Steve raised his eyebrows, no longer amused. "Look, little girl, this is serious -"

"_No shit_!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with desperation.

Jaime could also see a lot of herself in this girl. She remembered all too well what it was like to have no one take you seriously because you were young, blonde and female. Something told her that maybe this girl had a reason for being here. She elbowed Steve in his ribs. "I think we should listen to her," she told him.

The girl smiled. "Thank you." She looked at Steve, then decided she'd rather talk to Jaime. "First, that midnight thing, that's only for certain holidays and special occasions. Otherwise, any time after dark is all the same to them."

"Them?" Steve asked skeptically.

The girl rolled her eyes. "Well, duh - the vampires." She turned back to Jaime. "Your friend isn't exactly the brightest crayon in the box, is he?"

Jaime put an arm lightly around Steve's waist in a show of solidarity. Their eyes met, and both jumped almost imperceptively at the sudden spark. "He's a good guy, though," Jaime told the girl.

"Whatever. Look, I like you, and I'm not sure why, but I'm gonna help you." She took a pencil and paper from her purse, wrote something down and handed it to Jaime. "Be at this address at noon tomorrow, and I'll introduce you to someone who might be able to help you. That is, if you tell me your names."

Steve eyed her carefully. "I'm Steve, this is Jaime, and you are...:"

"Buffy - Buffy Summers. See ya tomorrow.

------

"Are you sure that girl isn't a distant relative of yours?" Steve joked. "I mean, the physical resemblance is uncanny, but she's also got your mouth and your attitude."

"Ha ha, Brightest Crayon." She smiled at him, finding it next to impossible to unlock her eyes from his.

Steve, too, was being surprised by unexpected emotions. Every second they stood there, he wanted more and more to pull her tightly into his arms and kiss her, and from the way she was looking at him, he doubted she'd mind. He also knew, though, that if he did that, they'd never make their noon appointment. He took a deep breath. "I'll grab the newspaper," he told her, regretfully tearing himself away. He opened the hotel room door, picked up the paper and froze in stunned disbelief.

"Steve? What's wrong?" Jaime reached behind him to close the door. Her arm went around him almost automatically as she leaned around him to try and see what he was staring at. Once she did see it, she wished she hadn't. "Oh, no." The headline seemed to take up half of the front page, and although it was in black ink, the words seemed to jump out screaming at Jaime and Steve in bright, bold neon colors.

'**_Vampire Killer bites two more_**'.

Jaime looked at Steve, her eyes wide with fear. He pulled her close in a comforting hug, and she clung to him, knowing that once they let go, they had to go back on the hunt for a maniac. When she was finally ready, Jaime handed him the piece of paper with the address on it.

Steve took it, stared at it for a minute, and put it in his pocket. "Let's hope Little Miss Buffy really does know what she's talking about."

------


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Are you sure you got the address right?" Jaime asked, looking at the various crosses, amulets and skulls(!) in the front window.

"This is the place," Steve told her. "Checked the address three times."

"Eew - gives me the heebie-jeebies!"

"Jaime, we don't have to do this -"

"I know. But something tells me we should listen to this girl. Maybe she knows something we don't. You're the one who always used to tell me to trust my gut."

Steve grinned at her. "Something I taught you actually stuck?"

"Steve, you taught me more than anyone else in the world, and not just about work."

"Past tense, huh?" he said lightly.

"I hope not. C'mon - let's go in before I lose my nerve."

Several large bells above the door clanged loudly as they walked in. Books of all sizes lined two of the walls, and various glass cases displayed powders, talismans and spooky-looking knick-knacks. A teen-age girl, pretty in a 'blonde bimbo' sort of way, hurried to meet them.

"Oh...hello, new people. I'm Anya. Will you be looking or buying?"

"We're here to see..." Steve glanced at Jaime; was he actually saying this? "...Buffy."

"Oh! Yes! I'm supposed to tell you to wait. She thought of someone else who might help you. She'll be back soon. And I'm supposed to introduce you to Giles. I'll get him." Instead of going to find this 'Giles' person, Anya stood her ground, took a deep breath and hollered: "**_Giles_**!" She smiled at Jaime and Steve. "He'll be right up."

A bookish, tweed-clad man in his 30's soon joined them. "Anya, what have I told you about shouting in the store?"

"Sorry." Anya retreated behind a counter.

"I do apologize. She's new. I'm Rupert Giles. Everyone calls me Giles."

After introductions and the obligatory handshakes, Giles led them into a large back room. It looked like a gym/office/museum, all in one. A large table, chairs and a desk occupied one corner, and gym mats covered most of the floor. Jaime looked at the walls, shuddered, and moved closer to Steve. Every imaginable medieval weapon hung on pegs on the wall: a crossbow, morning star, mace, sword, several axes and a few more that Jaime couldn't identify. Steve's arm snaked protectively around her waist. What had they gotten themselves into?

Giles eyed Steve and Jaime as carefully as they were eyeing him. "Buffy tells me you work for the government."

They'd never come out and told her that. "Why would she think that?" Jaime asked.

"She's unusually perceptive for her age," Giles explained. "She is correct, is she not? Never mind. You don't have to answer. I assume you are attempting to find the one the papers are calling the Vampire Killer?"

"Yes," Jaime confirmed.

"You're in precisely the right place if you're seeking information about vampires. You see -"

"I'm sorry," Steve interrupted, "but we're trying to catch a killer; one who claimed two more victims overnight. We don't have time for myths and ghost stories."

"Good. Because I don't know any. However, if you are discounting vampires as a myth, you couldn't be more wrong."

Steve was extremely skeptical, but Jaime was growing more and more frightened. "Excuse me?" she whispered.

Giles was deathly serious. "The stories you may have heard and the romanticism associated with them are pure fiction, of course. But vampires themselves truly do exist, and I'd lay odds that the killer you're seeking is one of them. They are very dangerous, with hearts blackened by pure evil - with the exception of one, whom you'll be meeting shortly. Depending on your point of view, he was either blessed or cursed with a soul, and Buffy and I believe he can help you."

"One of them," Jaime said quietly. "Do you mean she's bringing us a vampire?"

Buffy's voice echoed through the store as she came toward them. "Giles, I'm back." She saw Jaime and Steve and smiled as if they were old buddies. "Hi! I wasn't sure if you'd really come, but I'm glad you did. My friend is certain he can help you. So can I."

"Where is this friend?" Steve asked.

"He can't be outside when the sun is shining, but I told him about you and he's waiting to meet you at his place."

"I don't think that's a good idea - we don't know this person," Steve told her.

"Well, if you wanna wait 'til tonight -"

"We don't have time. Where is 'his place'?"

Buffy was still smiling. "It's not far. We can walk there, if you want. He lives in the old mausoleum at the back of the cemetery."

------


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Buffy turned to Jaime and Steve when they reached the main gate of the cemetery. "Wait here. I'll check things out and be back in a jif."

"Not that I'm buying all this vampire stuff," Steve said slowly, "but didn't you say they can't be outside in the sunshine?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Vampires can't, but demons can."

"Demons." Steve's voice had an unmistakable sneer to it.

"Just stay here," Buffy sighed, moving off into the graveyard.

"First vampires, now demons," Steve chuckled, a little nervously. "What's next, werewolves, warlocks and witches?" He saw that, instead of laughing, Jaime was staring into the cemetery with a look of sheer terror. They'd been on many missions together in the past, but he couldn't remember ever seeing true fear in her eyes.

"Jaime?" Very gently, he cupped her chin in his hand and turned her to face him, tenderly stroking her cheek with his fingertips. "You don't have to go in there. I'll go, and -"

"Uh-uh. I don't wanna be out here by myself." She managed a slight smile as she felt the warmth and comfort of his eyes. "If I'm gonna be scared, I'd rather be standing right next to you."

Steve was used to keeping his feelings for Jaime hidden from her, but that simple statement of trust brought forward such an intense rush of love for her that he knew she had to be able to see it and feel it.

He was right; she did feel it, and immediately grew calm and comfortable as she leaned readily into the safety of his arms. They spent the next few minutes quietly savoring just being together, holding each other. After nearly five years of no contact at all, this suddenly felt so _right_. Whatever it was they were about to walk into, Jaime and Steve would face it together.

Buffy rejoined them with a bounce in her step. "C'mon back - just follow me." When they reached the mausoleum, she turned. "Try not to make a huge deal about him being a vampire," Buffy instructed, ignoring Steve's raised eyebrow. "He's nothing like all the others, and I guarantee he won't hurt you."

Steve looked at the heavy iron-barred door and the marble slab behind it and was about to pull them open when Buffy casually pulled them both to the side as if they were weightless. "Damn," he remarked quietly, "for a tiny little girl, you've got some serious muscle."

"Yep." Modest, Buffy was not. They followed her down a damp, very dark stairway into the underground section of the mausoleum. Steve was glad Jaime didn't have his night vision; she didn't need to see the various multi-legged insects and furry rodents that skittered around in the darkness. At the other end of a dark, musty hallway, they came to a room with a large object in the center that appeared to be an old, crumbling stone tomb, now used as a table that held several large, ornate candlelabra. A tall, muscular man in a long, black duster stood with his back to them, just outside the radius of the candlelight.

"Angel?" Buffy took his hand and led him to join the others. "This is the couple I told you about." She smiled again at Steve and Jaime. "This is Angel."

Angel nodded, his expression friendly but serious. "Hello, Jaime...Steve. Buffy tells me you're looking for a killer, and that you both wear the white hats and we can trust you." Seeing that they were tongue-tied (a reaction he was somewhat used to), he kept talking. "Whether this killer is really a vamp or not is immaterial to me. If he is, he's out of control and needs to be stopped. We don't need the bad publicity. If he's not, he still needs to be caught. Either way, I want him just as much as you and your wife do, Steve."

Jaime and Steve glanced at each other on hearing _wife_, and tightened the arm that each had around the other. Neither of them corrected him.

"If the killer is a vamp," Angel continued, "it would do no good to put him in prison. He'd have to be killed."

"How do we do that?" Jaime asked.

"No," Buffy answered, "you don't. I do."

"Now wait a minute." Steve shook his head. "You're - what? Thirteen?"

"Seventeen."

"I can't, in good conscience, let you -"

"I know what I'm doing," Buffy insisted. "Do you?"

"Believe her," Angel added. "She's the best there is. That's why she's the Slayer."

Jaime was startled. "The...what?"

"Slayer." Buffy looked at the two novices and sighed. "It's gonna be a lot harder with you two along, but I know you're gonna be there either way, so we're gonna teach you the basics."

"Vampire Killing 101, huh?" Steve said. "We just need a silver bullet, right?"

"I think that's for werewolves," Jaime told him.

"Give the lady a Kewpie doll!" Angel exclaimed.

Buffy continued with the 'lesson'. "To kill - actually, to dust - a vamp, beheading works, or fire. Also sunlight. But the easiest way for beginners is to stake 'em." She anticipated Steve's next wisecrack. "Not tenderloin or t-bone. A wooden stake." She pulled one out of her pocket. The tip had been carved into a sharp point. "Like this one. In a pinch, though, drive any piece of wood - a tree branch, a chair leg, whatever - through its so-called heart. Presto! Works every time. But unless we're really in trouble, you're better off letting me handle that part. Questions?" Steve and Jaime were silent, stunned. "Ok. Meet me back at the front gate as soon as the sun goes down, and we'll get to work."

------

Their walk back to the car was a quiet one. As he opened the passenger door for Jaime, Steve chuckled to himself. "Tell you what, Sweetheart: you can be the one to explain this to Oscar."

------


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Jaime and Steve returned to the gate just before sunset. Buffy's mini-lesson on killing vampires, and then actually meeting one had strengthened Jaime's resolve, instead of spooking her. She had almost managed to make a believer out of Steve, and was able to convince him that they should wait a little longer before calling Oscar with an update.

They were both professional enough to concentrate on the task at hand, whatever it entailed, but until it was time to begin, their only focus was on each other. As Jaime leaned into him, one arm around his waist, Steve gently enfolded her in a tender embrace, gazing into hazel eyes that seemed, for the first time in years, to be reflecting the same feelings he had in his heart. Jaime could feel something happening, too, and willingly surrendered to feelings that, although new, felt comfortingly familiar. Neither of them spoke; they didn't need to. The first kiss was very light and tentative but rapidly grew more intense as a five-year-old spark burst into a roaring flame.

Half an hour later, they reluctantly pulled apart as Buffy bounced up to them from inside the cemetery. "Hi, guys! Word around here is that there's a whole lot of extra activity, vamp-wise, tonight. So stay on your toes and stick close to me."

"The killer took two victims last night," Jaime said. "He's stepping up his pace, and I have a gut feeling he's out again tonight."

"So _you_ stick close to _us_," Steve told Buffy.

"Yeah. Whatever."

On their second trip around the graveyard's perimeter, they saw Angel sitting on the roof of his mausoleum, just...watching them. He nodded at the three of them, and when they were almost past him, his head turned quickly and, in a very quiet, calm voice, he said "Behind you, Buffy."

Buffy didn't need to turn around and look; she understood. She pulled a stake from her sleeve, angled it backwards and drove it straight into the vampire. Steve and Jaime were left speechless as they watched the vamp literally disintegrate before their eyes, turning into a harmless cloud of dust. Buffy grinned triumphantly. "Now do you believe me?"

------

One hour and three more minor vamps later, the trio stopped to check in with Angel. "Have you heard anything yet?" Buffy asked.

"Nothing. If he's one of ours, he's an outcast - a lone wolf, so to speak. No one knows anything that they're willing to share."

"Maybe they're covering for one of their own?" Steve theorized.

"Not likely. Like I said before, we don't need the bad publicity."

"How do we know which one is the killer, and which ones aren't?" Jaime asked.

"It'll feel completely different. Trust me - you'll know."

"If you think about it," Jaime began, "the killer probably isn't going to jump out and attack a group of three. We'll never see him if we stay together like this. Why don't we try splitting up for awhile?"

"No way," Steve told her, his arm once again tightening protectively around her.

They began another circle around the perimeter, and when they were in the darkest corner, Jaime felt something yank hard on her arm, pulling her backwards. "Steve, Buffy!" She could defend herself, but didn't want them leaving her behind. Buffy started to leap to her aid, and so did Steve, but Jaime drew her right arm forward and, with all of her strength, elbowed the minor vampire and sent him flying backwards through the air. At the same time, Jaime took a bionic leap forward, so when she and the vamp landed, they were nearly on opposite sides of the cemetery.

It was Buffy's turn to stand in stunned silence. "Oh. My. God," she whispered. She looked at Steve with saucers for eyes. "Is she...a slayer?"

"Hardly."

"How did she do that -?"

"How did she do what?" Steve said. "I didn't see anything, and neither did you. Let's go find her." They'd walked to the area where Jaime had landed, but she was no longer there. "What the -"

Jaime, meanwhile, had been pulled back into the dark corner she'd started in. The air around her seemed to crackle with evil as a strong, rough hand firmly covered her mouth. This one was much more powerful, and she was unable to break away. Jaime felt his hot, hungry breath on her neck as he leaned in to whisper: "Hello, Number Eleven."

------


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Jaime struggled mightily against the arm that brutally restrained her and tried to bite the hand clamped over her mouth, with no success. Since her feet were free, she kicked out at the nearest tree breaking it at its base and sending it to the ground. As she'd hoped, Steve saw it and knew it was a red flag. "She's over there!" he told Buffy urgently.

Jaime's captor, hearing them approach, released her from his vice-like grip and shoved her roughly to the ground. She was immediately back on her feet, albeit a little shaken, but the attacker had disappeared. Steve was at her side in seconds, saw her stricken look and the vicious bruises already forming on her left arm and her neck, and he drew her into a very gentle, comforting hug. His eye scanned the horizon in all directions, but he saw no one and nothing unusual.

"Steve...that was him. He was so strong; I couldn't get away from him!" She was shaking all over and silent tears began streaming down her face. "He was stronger than we are," she repeated.

"I think it's pretty safe to assume he won't be back here tonight." Steve said to Buffy and Angel, who had just found them. "I'm taking her back to the hotel to rest."

"Did you wanna keep looking tomorrow?" Buffy asked meekly.

"Unfortunately, there's still a killer to catch. I'll be here - same time. But we'll have to see what her doctor says about Jaime. He's less than an hour away, and I know he'll want to check her over."

"Steve, I'm ok," Jaime affirmed, right before her legs gave out. Steve caught her as she fell and carried her to their car.

------

"Stress," Rudy proclaimed when he'd finished Jaime's exam. "Her legs are fine. She's got some nasty bruises and possibly a broken rib or two, but she'll be just fine. I'm glad you called me, though. From what Oscar told me and what the two of you said, I think I'll hang around until you wrap this one up. I've already got a room two floors down."

"Rudy," Jaime said weakly, "would you please tell him I'm ok to go back out tomorrow?"

"I'd rather see you take a couple of days to rest," the doctor answered.

"I told you -" Steve said.

"But if you take it easy - no fighting off vampires on your own - you should be ok."

"_I_ told_ you_," she smiled. "Rudy, I promise to leave the staking to Buffy and Steve."

"The - what?"

"I won't go killing any vamps on my own."

Steve couldn't hold back a chuckle. "It's _vamps_ now? You're turning into Buffy."

Rudy shook his head at both of them. "Jaime, I'll give you something to make sure you rest tonight. Tomorrow, we'll just play it by ear."

Steve pulled him aside in the hallway. "Is she really ok, Rudy? I just don't wanna take a chance..."

"I'll look at her again in the morning, but I'd say as long as she doesn't try to be the hero -"

"This is Jaime we're talking about."

"Keep an eye on her, Steve. But she should be fine."

------

Jaime and Steve met Buffy again after lunch the next day, and together, the three of them went to see Angel. "Everything ok?" he asked, meaning Jaime but looking at Steve.

"Just a few bruises," Jaime answered. "Nothing serious."

"And a couple broken ribs," Steve reminded her.

"Yeah. Whatever," she said in her best Buffy voice.

"Last night, after you left, I went to Willy's bar to see if he's heard anything," Angel told them.

"Is he a vampire or a demon?" Steve asked.

"Neither. We call him Willy the Snitch. He runs the only bar in the area that caters specifically to the so-called 'undead'. I'd hoped he might have, at the very least, a good rumor or two to give us, but - nothing. Sorry."

"Thanks for trying," Jaime said quietly. "I'm surprised there wasn't a new victim last night, the way it's all been escalating."

"There almost was," Steve pointed out.

"It would help Buffy and me if you could fill us in on anything you might have found out, any facts you have."

"We've got the file in the car," Jaime said. "I'll go and get it." She headed up and out.

Steve waited a reasonable length of time, figuring she was fine since the sun was out, but as more time passed he began to worry. "I'm gonna make sure she's ok," he told Buffy and Angel.

He was halfway to the gate when he saw her. Jaime was lying on the ground, a man hunched over her still form, poking at her neck with a device he couldn't quite make out. The attacker heard him coming and took off running. Steve began to chase him, but couldn't bear to leave an injured, unconscious Jaime lying alone in a graveyard. They had at least one clue they hadn't had before; Steve had gotten a good look at the man's face.

Buffy and Angel had apparently thought things were taking too long as well, because when Steve returned to Jaime's side, Buffy was already there. Jaime was just beginning to recover her senses, moaning softly as she fought to open her eyes.

"Jaime - I never should've let you go alone..."

"And you'd have stopped me - how?" she asked with a very weak smile.

"She's got a hell of a goose-egg on the back of her head," Buffy told Steve.

Jaime was beginning to fade again, but held up a medallion on a chain, which Buffy took from her. "Ripped...it off...his neck..." she mumbled.

"I'll take this to Angel; it's so unusual, he just might know who it belongs to."

"Buffy -" Steve wrote a phone number on a scrap of paper. "If he does know, call. If we're still at the hospital with Jaime, you can leave a message for me to contact you."

------

Steve took Jaime back to the hotel, where Rudy was waiting. While they prepared to get her to the hospital, Buffy was back talking to Angel. "We know now that it isn't a vamp," Buffy said. She handed Angel the medallion. "Jaime tore this off of his neck."

"Oh no..." Angel muttered, his face growing even more pale than usual.

"What?"

"I know this; I know who it belongs to." He looked up at Buffy, his face looking stricken and his eyes deadly serious. "It's Willy's."

------


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Willy's Bar was still deserted at 8pm; his clientele became active much later in the evening. Willy was wiping down the bar and filling the snack bowls when Angel kicked the door in. He had Willy by the throat in mere seconds, and morphed into his vampire-self through the intensity of his fury.

"You've always been a friend, Willy," Angel snarled, "which is why I haven't snapped you in half like a toothpick. Yet. But you'd better start giving me answers, or I might not be responsible for what happens to you."

"We _are_ friends, Angel. What - what's going on?"

"Where's your medallion? And how'd you get that black eye and those bruises? Little fight in the graveyard, Willy?"

"Y-you know I hate graveyards."

"Where's your medallion?" Angel demanded.

"Last night, after you left, a new vamp came in -"

"Who was it?"

"I - I've never seen him before. But he was real strong. He put a chokehold on me and just took it, right off my neck. Then he...he flew out the door."

Angel released his hold on Willy's throat. "He flew? Are you sure he was a vamp?"

"I saw the fangs, Angel."

"What'd he look like?"

"Little shorter than you, real thin but real strong. Blonde hair, almost white, sort of curly, cut real close to his head. Nasty, beady little dark eyes."

"And you're positive he flew?"

"I guess it was more like floating; just an inch or two off the ground."

"Any jewelry that you could see?"

"No, but when he grabbed me from behind, something metal dug into my neck. Felt like a ring."

"Willy, thank you." Angel turned toward the door. "Buffy!" he called. She'd been waiting outside with an instamatic camera. She took Willy's picture and then she and Angel regrouped in the alley beside the bar.

"I'll take this over to the hospital and have Steve look at it," Buffy said, holding the quickly developing photo.

Angel gently grabbed her arm. "Buffy, be extra careful. I'll have to look into this a little more, but if I'm right, I might know who this is, and at the moment, this vamp is unbelievably powerful. He can levitate, so you won't hear him coming, and he has the ability to attack in the sunlight, as well as the dark."

"How -?"

"Let me make sure I'm right, then I'll explain everything. In the meantime, please take extra precautions and stay alert."

------

While Angel was pumping Willy for answers, Steve paced nervously up and down the hospital corridor. He knew that Jaime's injuries were potentially much more serious now, and cursed himself for allowing her to return to the cemetery, even though Rudy had cleared her to go and they probably couldn't have stopped her anyway.

"Steve!" Buffy hurried toward him, holding something in her hand. "How's Jaime?"

"She's still in there with her doctor, and it's been hours now. She's been unconscious ever since she passed out in the cemetery. Buffy, did she say anything to you before I got there?"

"Not much. She mumbled something about how she didn't hear him coming and she should've heard him coming."

"See, that's the part I don't understand. Jaime has exceptionally good hearing. I can't figure out how someone could sneak up -"

"I know how," Buffy told him. "Oh, but first I'm supposed to show you this." She handed him the photo. "Is this the man you saw attacking Jaime?"

"No. That's definitely not him."

"Good, 'cause that's Willy, Angel's friend. We had to make sure, since it was his medallion. What did the man you saw look like?"

"He had very short hair, bleached almost white, and -"

"Yep. That's him. We don't know his name yet. Well, I don't, anyway. But Angel's pretty sure he knows who did this. Apparently, he can levitate and that's why Jaime didn't hear him coming. No footsteps, no footprints."

"Alright, you've got me buying into your vampire theories, so I guess levitating isn't too big a jump."

"I've gotta go make sure Angel's ok. I'll stop by tomorrow and fill you in on what we find out, ok?"

"Thanks, Buffy," Steve said, noticing his tongue didn't tend to trip on her name the way it did at first. He resumed his pacing, but had only made two more passes up and down the hallway when Rudy finally emerged.

"How is she?" Steve asked anxiously.

"No sign of a skull fracture, but she's got a pretty mean concussion. Whoever hit her, they hit her damn hard. She's extremely lucky she wasn't killed. Three broken ribs, a couple more cracked - hairline fractures."

"Is she...gonna be ok?"

Rudy smiled and patted his friend on the back. "A few days, maybe a week, of total bedrest, enforced with sedation if necessary, and she'll be just fine."

"When can I see her?"

"How about now? She's showing signs of regaining consciousness; as soon as she does, I'll give her something for pain. I'll wait out here for now, so you two can have some time alone. Just hit the call button when she wakes up, of if there's any other change."

Steve pulled a chair next to Jaime's bed, sat down and took her hand in both of his.

"Steve..." she whispered, her eyes still closed.

"I'm right here, Sweetheart. Just waiting to see those beautiful hazel eyes of yours." Her eyes began to flutter open, then she closed them again with a sharp cry of pain. Steve hit the call button.

"Hurts..." Jaime mumbled.

"Rudy'll be right in," Steve told her in a soothing voice. "He had to wait until you were awake, but he'll give you something now." She moaned softly, her head moving side-to-side, inadvertantly hitting the goose-egg against the pillow. "Jaime, try and lie still. You're making it worse by moving your head around."

Rudy came in and looked questioningly at Steve. "She's awake," Steve told him. "She's in a lot of pain."

Rudy injected the contents of a syringe into Jaime's IV line. "That should work pretty quickly. Jaime, I need you to try and open your eyes for me, Honey." Rudy assisted her a bit by lifting each eyelid just enough to check her pupils. "You should start to feel some relief in just a minute or two," he told her. "Steve, call me if she starts to feel worse. Otherwise, I'll be back in about an hour to check on her."

Steve gently brushed the hair from Jaime's face, carefully avoiding her bumps and bruises. A few seconds later, she slowly opened her eyes.

"Steve..."

"Shhh...you need to rest now."

"Steve, I love you..." The medicine did its work and she was sound asleep.

------


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Buffy returned to the mausoleum and found Angel pacing just as restlessly as Steve had been. "Angel?"

"He's got the Gem of Amarra; that's how he was able to withstand the sunlight," Angel said grimly. "As long as he's wearing it, he's unkillable. It's been lost for centuries; I don't know where - or how - he found it."

"Angel, who is he?"

"His name is Spike. He's either killing for fun, or draining his victims with some kind of device so he can take the blood back to his girlfriend. She's a vamp, too, but she's been weakening lately, and Spike thinks the blood is making her stronger."

"How do we stop him?"

"Get the ring off his finger. As long as he's wearing it, he's virtually invincible."

"An indestructible vamp? Sounds like fun - bring it on!"

------

"Did you talk to Buffy? What did she say?" Jaime demanded the next morning.

"Wow - you're definitely sounding a lot perkier this morning," Steve noted.

"The power of a good night's rest. How soon can I get outta here?" She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"Whoa! You've been retired with honors from vampire slaying. Rudy says you have to stay put."

"But -"

"Buffy and Angel can handle it; it seems they know who did it. They'll find him."

"Even more of a reason to help."

"No, Jaime." Steve swung her legs back onto the bed for her. "Bed rest means _bed_ rest."

"Steve, I need to talk to you about...something else. Last night I said something to you, right before I fell asleep..."

"You were pretty out of it, between the pain and the meds. I understand that -"

"No, you don't understand; I meant it. I love you, Steve."

They were interrupted by a nurse's knock on the door. "Excuse me - Colonel Austin? You've got a phone call."

Steve eyes met Jaime's. "I love you, too," he said, kissing her softly before getting up to follow the nurse.

------

At the same time that Steve was on the phone, Buffy stood, hands on her hips, shouting in the graveyard. "Spike! I know you're here; I can feel you! Have the guts to show yourself, you wimp!" She'd never met or even seen him, but Angel's description was vivid. She'd know him when she saw him. "You're a coward, Spike!"

In one split-second, Buffy's head was wrenched violently backward, her neck stretched and vulnerable, her body held in a vice-grip. A voice dripping with malice crooned in her ear: "Hello, Slayer."

"I was starting to think you wouldn't show up."

"And turn down a personal invitation to party with the one-and-only Slayer? Why, that would be rude! My lady love gets stronger with every human I drain for her. A slayer's blood just might cure her for good."

"Sorry - not this slayer!" With a twist, an elbow and a powerful kick, Buffy pulled herself away from Spike. She grabbed his hand to remove the ring but he used her outstretched arm as a lever to flip her to the ground. He was bending over to finish her off when she swung her legs up, kicked him solidly in the chest and landed on her feet.

"Pretty impressive," he sneered. "Almost a shame to deprive the world of such talent. But I'll deal with the guilt somehow." He grabbed Buffy around her waist and threw her, headfirst, into the iron fence. She slid to the ground, momentarily stunned. Spike advanced, prepared to deliver the death blow, when he was jerked off his own feet and thrown through the air.

Buffy looked up to see the identity of her saviour. "Jaime?"

"I snuck out," Jaime explained as she helped Buffy to her feet. "Let's get this creep, once and for all."

"We have to get the ring off his finger," Buffy said quickly. Spike had been thrown a good distance, but he was getting up. She lowered her voice. "Once we do that, he'll hopefully run into the mausoleum to get out of the sun, and Angel will take it from there."

"The ring, huh?" Jaime was weak, and hurting considerably from her injuries, but her anger and determination were stronger than her pain. Gathering all the strength she could muster, she jumped up and over Spike as he came toward them. Her right arm snaked around him from behind, pinning his arms to his sides. "Ok, Buffy," she said, wincing in pain, "get the ring."

Buffy pulled the ring from Spike's hand just as Jaime lost her grip. Spike lunged at Buffy, and their brief struggle ended with the ring flying over the fence and rolling right down a sewer drain.

As they'd hoped, Spike headed for the closest possible cover: the mausoleum. Jaime and Buffy followed, but Jaime was stopped by a gentle hand on her shoulder. Steve had found her.

"The rough stuff is over, I promise," she pleaded. "Just let me see how this all ends." Together, with Jaime leaning on Steve for support, they entered the stone building.

Angel, in his full vamp-mode, was forcing Spike toward a blood-red, swirling mass of smoke and light. "Maybe they'll have room for you in Hell," Angel taunted. "There's no place for you here." Spike screamed as he disappeared into the glowing mass. When he'd been completely swallowed up into the portal to Hell, the mass faded and then was gone, taking Spike with it.

"Steve, I'm sorry," Jaime said softly, "but I knew they were gonna need help..."

"I'm just glad everyone's ok," Steve told her, "and that it's finally over. Let's get you back to the hospital." They said their goodbyes and walked out into the sunshine.

"So the killer - who just happened to be a vampire, by the way - was stopped by throwing him into a portal to Hell," Steve summarized with irony in his voice. "It's all over, mission complete, but no one gets put behind bars. You know what, Sweetheart? I think I know the perfect penance for you."

"And what's that?" Jaime asked, kissing him.

"Well," he stole an extra kiss before going on, "I'm gonna let you be the one to sum this all up, write the report and explain it to Oscar."

END


End file.
